Movie Pick: Trumbo
The decade 1945-1955, may have been good for America's material prosperity, but quite bad, horrendous actually, for our spiritual prosperity. FDR, died, and lesser leaders took over. The right wing, sensing weakness, pounced, seizing their chance to role back the New Deal on a platform of anti-Russian anti-communism. Anyone and anything progressive became suspect.
The decade is accurately and exquisically recreated in the biopic 'Trumbo', staring Brian Cr...anston as the most famous of the thousands of Americans whose lives were diminished, often destroyed by the Blacklist which prevented left leaning intellectuals from working for The Man, be it
in government or business.
The decade 1945-1955, may have been good for America's material prosperity, but quite bad, horrendous actually, for our spiritual prosperity. FDR, died, and lesser leaders took over. The right wing, sensing weakness, pounced, seizing their chance to role back the New Deal on a platform of anti-Russian anti-communism. Anyone and anything progressive became suspect.
The decade is accurately and exquisically recreated in the biopic 'Trumbo', staring Brian Cr...anston as the most famous of the thousands of Americans whose lives were diminished, often destroyed by the Blacklist which prevented left leaning intellectuals from working for The Man, be it
in government or business.
But Trumbo's punishment was worse. He served 11 months in the slammer for refusing to 'name names' as the game was played before HUAC (House Un-American Activities Committee), itself America's premier un-American activity. As 'Trumbo' unfolds you realize why his story is featured. Trumbo didn't commit suicide or become destitute as many did. He outsmarted the Blacklist by prolifically writing screenplays and submitting them under pseudonyms. He was so good his 'Roman Holiday' piece won an Oscar awarded to his buddy Ian McLellan Hunter, who submitted it as his work. In 1956, Trumbo struck again, winning the Gold Guy for his screenplay for 'The Brave One' under the name Robert Rich. Unlike the real life Hunter, there was no Robert Rich, and the virulent Blacklist protectors like columnist Hedda Hopper (a bravura Helen Mirren performance) had apoplexy knowing it was Dalton.
Trumbo was so good and so unyielding to the mob that Kirk Douglas and Otto Preminger finally gave him screen credit for 'Sparticus' and 'Exodus', respectively, in 1960. The Blacklist was broken.
'Trumbo' has its parallels in today's toxic political climate with presidential contenders calling for a ban on Muslims entering the Land of the Free, and carpet-bombing folks simply fighting amongst themselves 10,000 miles away.
In that hateful decade covered by 'Trumbo', anything left of center was excised from our culture of free speech. A fitting response to today's Xenophobia and fear mongering would be 'Trumbo' as required viewing in grade school as part of the civics curriculum prior to taking the Constitution test often required to graduate.
Trumbo was so good and so unyielding to the mob that Kirk Douglas and Otto Preminger finally gave him screen credit for 'Sparticus' and 'Exodus', respectively, in 1960. The Blacklist was broken.
'Trumbo' has its parallels in today's toxic political climate with presidential contenders calling for a ban on Muslims entering the Land of the Free, and carpet-bombing folks simply fighting amongst themselves 10,000 miles away.
In that hateful decade covered by 'Trumbo', anything left of center was excised from our culture of free speech. A fitting response to today's Xenophobia and fear mongering would be 'Trumbo' as required viewing in grade school as part of the civics curriculum prior to taking the Constitution test often required to graduate.
posted by Walt Zlotow at 4:44 AM
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